Tails From The Darkside
by Old Goat
Summary: During the 1980's, there was a television horror show called Tales from the Darkside. Some of the episodes were scary and some were just campy. This is my homage to that show. There are somethings in the darkness that cannot be explained. Can Nick Wilde convince his partner Judy Hopps, that there are some mysteries that even she can't solve and that are just best left alone?
1. The Cemetery Gate

**Chapter 1: The Cemetery Gate**

 **During the 1980's, there was a television horror show called** _ **Tales from the Darkside.**_ **Some of the episodes were scary and some were just campy. This is my homage to that show.**

 **There are somethings in the darkness that cannot be explained. Can Nick Wilde convince his partner Judy Hopps, that there are some mysteries that even she can't solve and that are just best left alone?**

 _I do not own the rights to Zooptopia or any of its characters. I do not own the rights to Tales of the Darkside or any of its characters. This story was written solely for the reader's enjoyment and without any profitable purposes. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this story are fictitious. I hope neither Walt Disney nor_ _George A. Romero haunt me for writing this story._

 **Tonight I offer to you** _ **Tails from the Darkside…**_

* * *

The rat desperately scurried across the abandoned townhouse's wooden floors, seeking a way past the rabbit in the police uniform and down the stairs behind her.

"Give it up Ratolou," Judy Hopps snapped. "You're under arrest!"

The rat saw the small hole in the wall and charged at it, slamming into the rotted wood and out into the hallway beyond. He raced down the stairs and towards the open front door, when suddenly the rabbit landed in front of him. Quickly he backed up and frantically looked around.

"Pant…pant…pant! Slowdown Carrots, I can't keep up with you!" the uniformed fox yelled as he came down the stairs.

Seeing that the rabbit was momentarily distracted, the rat made his move and dove through the window onto the street below.

"Stop!" Judy yelled as she turned and leaped after him. The rat had run across the street and was standing next to the old fence that surrounded the dilapidated cemetery. He looked at the rabbit and then the cemetery, then cursing he wiggled under the fence and slipped into the undergrowth.

Judy realized she couldn't follow the rat under the fence or leap over it. She ran to the gate and tried to tug it open, but it didn't budge. Frustrated, she slammed a paw on the iron bars and stepped back, then seeing Nick in the doorway she yelled, "Help me get this open, he ran into the cemetery!"

The fox looked at her and then at the cemetery with wide eyes and instead of stepping forward, he actually stepped back. "Carrots, Judy come over here!" he yelled. "Get away from that place now!"

"He's getting away!" she yelled back as she tugged harder on the gate. Then looking closer, she realized it was welded shut. "Why would anyone weld a gate shut?" she asked.

The fox came closer and frantically grabbed her paw. "Lets go, I don't want to be here after dark!" he said as he pulled her away from the gate. "He's gone, we need to leave."

She pulled free and faced the frightened fox. "What is wrong with you Nick!" she yelled. "Why won't you go into the cemetery?"

"Do you know why some cemeteries are surrounded by iron fences?" the fox replied. "Iron fences just don't keep mammals out, they keep other things in. Things that shouldn't be loose on our city's streets!"

"Oh come on!" the rabbit huffed. "Are you really trying to tell me you believe in ghosts?"

"Carrots, there are things in the night that are far worst then ghosts," Nick sighed as he put his paws on his chest and smirked at her. "Look, you're a daytime animal, when its dark you can't see you paw in front of your cute twitching nose. We foxes are night animals, so trust me when I tell you there are things out and about in the dark that you don't want to see."

"First Mr. Smartypants, don't call me cute!" Judy snapped at the fox as they began walking back to their police cruiser. "Second, there are no such things as ghosts, ghouls, vampires or any of that other nonsense. They're just stories told to scare children around the campfire."

As he climbed into the passenger's seat, Nick replied. "There are things out there that are unexplained mysteries, trust me."

"Everything can be explained," the rabbit scoffed as she reached for the radio. "Any mystery can be solved, if you just follow the clues." Then calling into the station, she asked for Chief Bogo.

"You better have caught Ratolou!" the cape buffalo yelled over the phone. The rabbit's ears drooped and she gave her partner a withering look.

"Sorry Chief, he got away. We lost him when he ran into the Ravencroft Cemetery," she meekly replied. "The gate was welded shut and..."

"Wilde!" Bogo's voice cut her off. "You two report back to the station. Make sure Hopps doesn't go in there, especially at night!"

"10-4 on that boss, we'll head back now," the fox replied.

"But what about Ratolou? Judy asked, her noise was twitching in frustration.

"If he went in there, well may the Great Lion help him," Bogo sighed. "Just head back now." Then he hung up.

"That was weird," the rabbit said. "I've never heard the Chief call off an officer chasing a criminal before?"

"He just wants us safe," the fox replied. "You don't go in there, especially after dark."

"This is ridiculous," the rabbit sharply said back to the fox. "Are you telling me an experience police officer like the Chief believes that nonsense?"

"Like I said Fluff," the fox replied. "Some mysteries can't be solved, but I'll tell you what. You bring a change of clothes and after work tomorrow, I'll introduce you to someone who will make you believe in, what did you call it? Oh yeah, that nonsense."

* * *

The next evening after work and having changed into civilian clothes, they ate a quick dinner at Nick's favorite falafel shop before catching the tram to the East Side of the city. The rabbit was surprised when the fox led her past a popular bar called The Hanging Cat Pub and into an alleyway, where a small crowd had gathered around a strange looking white wolf wearing a top hat and a flock coat. The wolf appeared to be verbally seducing a couple of collage aged female white-tailed deer. "Wait Slick, you brought me all the way here for a ghost tour?" the bunny huffed.

"Not just any ghost tour, but that is the Undertaker and he has been telling stories ever since I was a pup," replied Nick. "Come to think of it, he really hasn't changed much over all those years? Anyways, if he can't convince you that there is more in this world then what the can see, well I don't know anyone who can."

The wolf looked over at the fox and the rabbit and gave them what could only be called a feral smile. "Nick Wilde, it's been years!" the wolf chuckled. "I've heard you've gone honest and have become a cop!" Then looking at the rabbit, he added, "This must be your lovely partner, the savior of us predators, Judy Hopps." He took her paw into his and lifted it to his muzzle for a kiss. His lips seemed both icy cold and red hot warm all at the same time, but it was his blood red eyes that entranced the rabbit. She was started when he spoke again. "So I see you're a skeptic?" he asked.

She shook herself before replying, "Look I don't believe in this supernatural nonsense. Every mystery can be solved if you follow the clues!"

He stepped back closer to the two does and replied, "Supernatural nonsense? Maybe you should have listened to your grandfather when he told you those stories around the campfire all those years ago?" Before she could ask how he knew Pop Pop, the wolf turned to the fox. "You know the price, seven dollars for seven stories," he said.

"Still only charging seven dollars?" Nick laughed. "You need to raise your price! Everyone else is charging at least twenty." He handed him the money for both him and Judy.

"But Nick, seven is a sacred number," the wolf replied. "A holy number!"

"Aren't there seven deadly sins?" one of the does asked.

Stepping close to her, he replied with sinister sounding chuckle, "Exactly, seven sins…a holy number!"

"Wait, did you say sins are holy?" the doe asked as she watched him toss the money into his hat and then turning it over, she added, "Where did the money go?"

"That's a mystery!" the wolf replied with a grin. Then reaching into the hat, he pulled out two blood red roses which he handed to the does.

"Really!" Judy scoffed. "I've seen street magicians do that trick. Your hat has a false bottom!"

"Ah, does it?" the wolf asked as he handed the hat to the rabbit.

Judy peered into the hat and then felt around the insides with her paw. "Well, I'm sure it has a fake bottom, I just can't find it in this dim light," she huffed as she handed the hat back to the wolf.

He once again gave her a feral grin as he reached his paw into the hat and pulled out a necklace of what appeared to be thirteen silver coins. Then with what seemed like an unnatural quickness, he bent over and clasped it around her neck. "A gift for the skeptic," he said. "Thirteen coins to save a soul." Then he quickly walked away and greeted his other customers.

"This can't be real?" Judy asked Nick as she tried to tug the necklace off, but it wouldn't come loose. "If this was real silver coins, it would be expensive."

"He's never done that before?" the fox said ad he looked at the wolf.

The wolf turned to face the fox and gave him a sad frown, before turning back to the crowd. Then he laughed as he reached for his shovel. "Come, the night waits!" he announced.

Nick looked at the crowd and then to Judy. "Huh, there are thirteen of us in the group tonight."

As if the wolf heard him, the Undertaker stopped, turned around, and called back, "Are you two coming?"

The fox and the rabbit hurried to catch up with the others, but the fox suddenly had a bad feeling about this night.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: The Sin of Lust!**


	2. She'll Be Mine! (The Sin of Lust)

**Chapter 2: She'll Be Mine! (The Sin of Lust)**

 **Dear readers, the following stories are inspired by the popular television show _Tales from the Darkside_. Although I am sorely tempted to do a parody of those shows, there are somethings worse in this world then ghouls…we call them lawyers. Besides, some great writers such as the talented Stephen King contributed to the series. I on the other hoof, only write this dribble for fun and I hope your entertainment.**

 **It's hard to write a story about lust and keep it at a T rating!**

 **So without further ado, I present the next chapter of Tails from the Darkside.**

* * *

A chilling breeze blew leaves along the street and despite the glaring city lights, above them the moon was full and bright with its light hauntingly casting the shadows of the trees along their path. As they walked into the park, the sounds of the evenings traffic was left behind them and finally the group stood in front of a large brick industrial looking building.

"By the Roaring Twenties, Harry Hoppenger's family made a fortune canning vegetables shipped in by rail from the Tri-Burrows and his father built this huge factory we are standing in front of tonight. As you can see, the factory has now been rebuilt into luxury condominiums and all the units have been sold, except the upper corner unit which was once Harry's office. No one will buy it because of what happened there," the wolf began his story.

* * *

The rabbit looked out his office's windows at the workmen installing the new electrical power lines inside the building. "Like the great wall they're building, it's called progress!" he proclaimed to his skeptical father. "We've canned food for generations, but no one has made an easy way to open those cans. I'm going to create and build the first practical electric can opener!"

His father just rolled his eyes and shook his head, "What's wrong with a manual can opener?"

"Well nothing, but everyone will want an electric version when I build it!" the rabbit laughed. "It will be modern and that's the new rage. We'll make a fortune!"

After his father left, the younger rabbit ran to the widow again and excitedly watched the electricians laying the new cable. As he stared out the window, he suddenly noticed a young little rabbit doe standing by the doorway of the typing pool. She was shapely and dressed in a modest pink and blue checkered dress, which highlighted her grey fur. As he watched, her ears drooped and her nose twitched as she talked to one of his many younger brothers, who was the typing pool manager. Whatever he was telling her, was upsetting her. She pulled a handkerchief from her purse and wiped her eyes, as he spoke. Walking over to his desk, Harry picked up the telephone and spoke with the switchboard operator, "Get me the typing pool manager's office."

After a few moments his brother answered, "Yes Harry?"

"You are talking to a young doe and she looks upset," the buck said. "What's going on Fred?"

"I as letting her go," Fred sighed. "She just can't type."

"Look, bring her up to my office," the buck commanded. "I would like to meet her."

He watched as Fred returned to talking with the cute doe and began escorting her towards the stairwell. Quickly running over to his desk, he sat down and began to look busy. After a few moments, there was a rapping on his office's door and looking up he said, "Enter!"

Excuse me Harry, but you asked to meet Miss Julie Hopps?" the younger buck said as he entered the room, ushering the young rabbit in front of him.

"Ah, Miss Hopps!" Harry said. "It is a pleasure meeting you." She was absolutely gorgeous up close.

"Its nice meeting you too sir," she replied. Her eyes met his and he was astounded that they we enchantingly violet. Breaking his glaze, she looked demurely down at the floor.

"Look, I was hoping that you might be able to assist me?" Harry asked as he leaned forward in his chair and folded his paws on his desk. "It seems I am in need of a secretary and I was wondering if you might be available to take the job?"

Fred was about to object, but the withering look his brother gave him made him change his mind.

The doe looked up in excitement, but then her ears drooped as she replied, "I'm sorry sir, but I'm not that good of a typist."

"We've got a whole room of typist!" Harry laughed. "You won't have to do much typing, just answer the phone, keep track of my calendar, and do some other clerical jobs. The thing is, I'm one of the owner's oldest sons and a vice president, but I don't have a secretary and that's kind of embarrassing. If you're interested, it pays much more then what you are now making."

The pretty doe quickly agreed and the necessary arrangements were made to transfer her to her new job. At first, she found the job interesting, but there really wasn't much for her to do. As for Harry, he would pull his metal stool up to his worktable and tinker with his invention. But more and more he found himself watching her and as the days went by, he wanted her as his own. Her voice was like music to his ears and those eyes, he could lose himself in those violet eyes! Day by day, he would sit there on his stool watching her and lusting for her while his invention sat idle on the table before him.

Then one morning, as he flipped on the desk light, there was a crackle and the lights went out. Frowning he called Miss Hopps to call the maintenance department to send an electrician up to check the outlet while he attended a luncheon.

The young rabbit doe was surprised when a lean young red fox showed up at the office door carrying a big red tool box. He was dressed in denim overalls and was he was shirtless. "Did you call for an electrician miss?" the fox asked. She looked up and was shocked by the prettiest emerald green eyes that were looking down at her.

"Why yes, yes" she stammered. "The power outlet in Mr. Hoopger's office is not working."

"Ah, let me see what I can do to fix the problem," he said. As he passed by her desk, his russet to brown tail flicked by her and she caught herself staring at it, wanting to touch it.

After a few minutes, he returned and stopped by her desk. "It's all fixed for now, is there anything else I can do for you?" he asked. She looked up and found herself admiring him, the white chest fur under the overalls, the inviting smile, and those eyes. Blinking, she slightly blushed as she answered, "No, but thank you."

The name is Nick Reynardson," he offered. "And you might be?"

"Oh, how rude of me!" she replied. "I'm Julie Hopps."

"Well Miss Hopps, please call me if you need anything else," he replied. She watched him leave and sighed.

Harry hesitated as he returned to his office and saw the fox leavening, he frowned at the look that Julie was giving the animal. "Did he get the power back on!" he angrily snapped at her as he entered.

The doe gave him a confused look before she answered, "Yes sir, everything is now working."

He did not reply, but briskly entered his office and slammed the door. Sitting in the room, he stared at her through the window. "You are mine!" he snarled softly. "I will have you yet!" His eyes looked her over, her soft fur, her feminine shape, and those eyes. Yes, she would be his and his alone. He flipped on his desk light and sat on the metal stool as he tinkered with his invention.

* * *

Hoofsteer's Bar was nearly empty, with just a few animals either playing pool or drinking beer. It was one of the very few establishments located in the nicer part of town which allowed predators inside, most restaurants and bars had an outdoor area in the back for the less desirable animals. The two foxes were seated in a booth drinking their beers.

"Nicki, what's the matter with you my friend?" the big eared little fennic fox asked with a heavy accent as he looked up at the larger red fox. "You got something on you mind tonight, besides the weather?"

Nick looked down at his friend with a smile. "What is it with you and the weather?" he laughed.

"It raining," the smaller fox grunted. "It is always raining here, not like my homeland. All that sand for miles around, it is truly beautiful."

"Then why did you move here?" the larger fox asked as he gave him a smirk.

"All that sand and no money!" the little fox laughed. "No money, no food! No food, no more Faisal Finnick. Just bones in the desert!"

The larger fox chuckled at his friend and then sighed, "Its just I met someone, she adorable and has these eyes that I just…well there not like any I've seen before. I just can't get her out of my mind."

"Ah, my young friend has a crush on a girl?" the smaller fox replied before he sipped his beer again.

"No…well, I don't know," Nick grumbled. His ears went flat on top of his head and he stared out the window. "I need to forget her, I'm not her type. She's too good for me and I'm definitely too wrong for her."

"Why do you say that my friend?" Faisal asked. "You've got a good job and you're a nice guy. Heh, you're even good looking for a red fox. So, why are you all wrong and not good enough for this vixen?"

"She's a rabbit," Nick sighed. "I'm infatuated with a bunny!"

The small fox choked on his beer and coughed before wheezing out a replay, "You are definitely wrong for her!" Then looking over at his friend, he added, "Let's go to Donner's place, the deer has a new dancer and she's a maned wolf, she will make you forget about this rabbit."

At the same time Nick and Faisal were in the bar, Julie poured herself a cup of tea and looked out the boardinghouse window at the falling rain. She just couldn't get that fox out of her mind, his sleek reddish fur, his white chest fur, and those pretty emerald green eyes. She blushed as she imagined that fluffy tail wrapping around her as he smiled down before kissing her. Sighing, she thought to herself that maybe her papa was right in his last letter and it was time to go home.

* * *

His littermate slammed the door," What's this about you wanting me to fire Reynardson?" Arthur snapped at him. "He's our best electrician and is the only one who can keep that damn syrup boiler for the carrots working. I can't afford to lose him."

"I just don't trust him, he's a fox!" Harry yelled as he tossed some papers in his paws back onto his desk. "Look he's after my secretary Hopps!"

"A fox after a rabbit," the other brother scoffed. "No, you're the one after her."

"I love her!" Harry grumbled.

"Then either marry her or make her your mistress," Arthur replied. "You need to get out of here, go take a tour of the wall. Old Shipley has been after you to see that marvel they are building, its supposed to have heaters on one side for a desert and ice cold snow blowers on the other side. Take that fluff with you if you want."

"I asked her and she won't go!" Harry cried out. "She said that it's improper!"

Suddenly the lights dimmed and went out again. "Damn, Reynardson said they messed up the wiring. I'll get him up here to fix it," Arthur grumbled. As he was leaving, he turned to his brother and added, "Just leave the fox alone to do his job!"

That afternoon, Harry watched the fox approach Miss Hopps and the two nervously greeted each other. As the fox working, he caught him more the once glancing over at the doe and she at him. His anger was building up as the day went on, he would have to do something about that fox and then he had an idea! Leaving them alone, he went downstairs during lunch break. While everyone was eating in the cafeteria, he slipped into the drained syrup boiler and jammed the machine's drain, then returning to his office he waited.

It was around five that evening when Arthur came to the office looking for Nick and sent him downstairs to repair the boiler. It took several hours for the water to cool down enough to be manually drained from the machine and Nick was left by himself that night to find out what was causing the malfunction. Stripping off his overalls, he waded into the almost drained huge tub and began looking around. As he was peering into the drain, Harry slammed closed and locked the lid and then he turned the water valve on. He could hear the fox's yells and pounding over the running water as he climbed to the second floor and rolled a heavy trolley off the edge it so fell onto the top of the boiler's lid. He quickly ran downstairs and unlocked the lid knowing the trolley's weight was too much for the fox to push the lid open.

They found the drowned fox the next morning and the police determined that the trolley must have fallen, knocking Nick into the tub, before the impact closed the lid. Since it was too heavy for him to escape, he perished. It was considered an accidental drowning, but since he was just another dead fox, they didn't really pay much attention to the case.

That afternoon, Harry was in a good mood as he sat on his metal stool and fiddled with his invention, he watched as Julie cried over the death of Nick. Give her time, he thought and then she will be mine.

A week later she seemed to be still grieving, but Harry had had enough of waiting and he confronted her as she came up the stairs. "Miss Hopp…Julie…you're a beautiful doe, I want you to come with me to visit the wall for the next couple of days.

"I'm sorry Mr. Hoopenger, but I told you that it wouldn't be appropriate," she objected.

"I can make it well worth your time," he said as he took her paw. "I want you, I desire you to be my wife!"

She stepped away from him, "I don't love you!"

"It's that fox," he snapped at her. "You loved him, not me!"

"Nick?" she cried out. "He's dead, but yes I think I did love him!"

"I took care of him and I will take care of you if you don't do as I say," he pulled her into his embrace and tried to kiss her, but she screamed and tried to push away. "If I can't have you, then no one will!" he growled as he shoved her. She tumbled backwards, down the stairs, and onto the hard floor. He walked down the stairs and looked at her broken body, her neck was unnaturally twisted. "Help!" he yelled. "Miss Hopps has fallen down the stairs!"

The police investigation concluded that she slipped and fell, another accident.

That night, he angrily stayed late in his office, trying to finish his invention and finally he got it to work! Elated, he ran down stairs to get more cans to open, it was midnight before he returned with the cans. As he entered his office, he noticed a trail of wet spots on the floor. Looking around he couldn't find any reason for a leak and so he wiped them up before he hopped up on his metal stool and put the cans next to his new electric can opener. Giddy with excitement, he reached for a can. But before he could pick it up, his ears twitched as he thought he heard a faint whisper. "You killed her," came a faint sigh. The rabbit looked around and no one was there, then he heard a dripping noise? Still he didn't see anyone or any water.

Shaking his head, he nervously chuckled as he picked up the can. "You killed her," Came the ghostly whisper again, followed by more dripping noise. The rabbit turned in his stool and looked around, he was sure no one was there!

Walking around his office he searched for that dripping noise, drip…drip…drip! It sounded like water hitting the floor, but he didn't find anything amiss. Opening his office door he peered down the hallway, but didn't see anyone or anything. As he closed the door, he stopped because once again he heard that voice whisper, "You killed her!"

"Nonsense!" he mumbled as he turned back to his can opener and brought it closer. Placing the can under the blade, he smiled as he turned it on and then came an unearthly growl, "You killed me!" The rabbit was startled, knocking his invention off the table. There was a terrible crackling sound and sparks lit up the darkness, before the power went out.

* * *

"They found Harry Hoppenger that morning still sitting on his metal stool, dead. On the floor, lying in a large puddle of water that surround his metal stool was his electric can opener. The police ruled his death as accidental electrocution, but they could never figure out where the water came from? Harry's electric can opener was never marketed, but police rookie Thaddeus Clawhauser got an idea from the poor rabbit's unfortunate demise and invented the electric chair for the execution of criminals," the wolf said as he leaned on his shovel. "Afterwards they ended up locking his office and never using it again because the power would never work and no matter what they did, the mysterious puddle of water returned. When they rebuilt the old factory into condominiums they left the room sealed, because even now we don't know where the water comes from. Is it the ghost of a fox returning from his grave?"

Nick smirked as he looked down at Judy and asked, "So where do you think the mysterious puddle comes from?" he chuckled.

"I don't know, maybe pinhole leaks in the copper pipes below the office floor? I would have to see the room," Judy replied. Then her nose twitched and she added, "I had a great, great Aunt Julie Hopps who died in an accident."

"You think that's strange," the fox laughed. "My mother's maiden name is Reynardson."

They both looked over at the Undertaker who was watching them with his eerie blood red eyes. "Come!" he beckoned. "Another story waits!" Shouldering his shovel, the wolf led the group down the dark street. Nick and Judy followed, but the fox looked back as he felt a chill run down his spine.

* * *

 **Next: The Sin of Gluttony**


	3. Hunger Pains (Sin of Gluttony)

**Chapter 3: Hunger Pains (The Sin of Gluttony)**

 **It's Friday night and time for another chilling tale of the supernatural!**

 **The 1980's also brought us a witty and sarcastic TV hostess named Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. She wore a tight low cut dress, tall black beehive wig, and spoke with a humorous valley girl inspired accent. Over several years, Elvira's Movie Macabre aired a number of B-rated horror movies. So you know I had to work a character based on her into this story.**

 **Now let's catch up with Nick and Judy as they follow that strange storyteller, the Undertaker, as he leads them further into Zootopia's darkside…**

* * *

Nick shivered as he looked behind them, he was sure somebody or something was watching. Judy asked him a question, but he wasn't listening and blinked before he looked down at her with a fake smile, "I'm sorry Carrots, what did you say?"

"I asked you how many times you have taken this ghost tour?" she repeated herself. "The storyteller seems to know you."

"This will only be my third time, but I used to pull some hustles outside the Hanging Cat Pub," the fox absentmindedly replied. "You know the shell game and those types of scams. We talked a lot during that time."

"That last story, it was weird that it was about a rabbit and a fox?" She replied.

Nick quickly looked down at her, she had a slight blush and she was pulling on her ear again. She did that when she would talk about romance or Nick would tell her one of his more mild dirty jokes. "Did the story give you some ideas Fluff?" he joked. "Maybe you got a crush on a certain fox?"

"Ha!" she laughed or tried to, but it didn't sound so sincere as she looked up at the smirk he was giving her. "The only crush you're going to get Slick, is your tail when I stomp on it! A fox and a rabbit, what nonsense!"

Nick felt that shiver up his spine again and turned as a voice came from behind him, "Gee golly kiddo's a lover's quarrel and you haven't even kissed!" The bunny next to him spun around to face a vixen in a tight black low cut dress. "Remember me stud?" she sarcastically laughed as she winked at Nick.

If a rabbit could look sinister, Judy now managed that look as she angrily glanced first at the strange vixen and then Nick. He was staring at the vixen with a dumbfounded look before finally mumbling out, "I remember you!"

"El, quit hassling my customers," the wolf commanded in a deep growl as he quickly stepped between the vixen and the fox. "Aren't you late for a dinner engagement elsewhere?"

The vixen stepped forward and put her paws on the wolf's chest, "Aw, your no fun tonight Undee!" she almost purred. "I just wanted to greet an old friend!"

"Go play somewhere else," the Undertaker growled. "I've got a story to tell."

"Bye lover," she laughed as she stepped back into the shadows and then seemed to disappear.

"So stud," Judy said in a mocking voice. "An old girlfriend?"

"A long time ago we had a date," Nick replied as he frowned at the shadows. "I really don't recall much about that night. I just remembered how weak and sick I felt the next day, it must have been something I ate?"

Judy's ears shot up as she heard the Undertaker's low chuckle and whisper, "Or something that ate you." She looked over at him, but he was already standing back in the front of the bewildered group. "This city is full of strange characters, so let's get moving," he said. One of the does giggled as he handed her his shovel and threw his arms over both her and her sorority sister's shoulders.

They walked to a spot that had a red pole driven into the center of the sidewalk. "Have you ever wondered why a random pole was placed in the middle of this sidewalk? I can assure you its not for mammals to walk into, no its to protect you from stepping on a certain cursed spot," the wolf spoke

* * *

He dug through the trash bin, trying to find something edible to share with his sister. "Aw look at the ringtail bandit," the zebra laughed as he and his two buddies entered the alleyway. "Mamma run off drunk and stoned again?"

Pushing the much smaller mammal against the building's wall, the zebra brought a hoof down hard onto the thin raccoon's chest. "Look man, I 'm just trying to survive dude," Sam Rivermont groaned. "I'm just trying to find something to eat, I'm so hungry!"

The zebra gave him an angry look and grabbed the small bag of food the raccoon had collected, you know the rules," the zebra laughed. "The biggest and baddest get what they want. You damn hippies aren't worth the saliva to spit on you." He punched his hoof into the raccoon's belly. "What makes it worse, you're also a pred."

"Hey, Larry" the hippo standing behind the zebra suddenly said as he looked at the balled up raccoon groaning on the pavement "He's had enough, it think you really hurt him this time!"

"Shut up Hank," the other Zebra snapped at the hippo. "He isn't hurt until Larry says so! Right, Larry?"

"Damn right Zack!" the zebra snarled as he slammed his hind hoof down on the writhing mammal's head and the raccoon went still. "That'll teach you coon! We get the food, not you and that little tramp you call your sister."

As the two zebras laughed and walked out of the alleyway with the bag of food, the hippo turned as frowned as he looked a the raccoon who was still laying still on the ground. "Are you coming Hank?" Larry yelled to him. He sighed and then hurried to catch up with them.

It wasn't until later that evening when Sam Rivermont was found by his sister, Karen and she screamed for help. Most of the mammals passing by ignored her, assuming that the other hippie had overdosed. An elderly coyote came to her assistance and went to call the police. By the time they arrived, Sam was dead.

After the police had come and her brother's corpse had been taken away by the coroner, the elderly coyote took the thin wisp of a raccoon's paw in hers. "When was the last time you had something to eat?" she asked. "You look starved!"

"Its been a few days," Karen sniffled. "Sammy and I were scavenging for food today. He didn't want me working the streets again."

"Oh sweetie, you're too young for that!" the coyote gasped. "Young lady, your coming home with me and after you clean up, I'm going to feed you a nice dinner."

The little raccoon didn't have anywhere else to go, so she followed the coyote named Erma back to her apartment. After she took a nice warm bath and pulled on a pair of oversized pajamas that the coyote said belonged to her late husband, she sat down at the table where a bowl of chicken noodle soup was waiting.

"You're all skin and bones dear, so start with the broth and then we will wait before you can have some more," Erma said. "When you haven't eaten for so long, you've got to give yourself time for the food to settle. So I want you to eat slowly or you will get sick."

The skinny raccoon slowly sipped the soup and tears began forming in he eyes again. "Thank you for this," she sniffled.

"Why haven't you eaten?" Erma asked her. "There are charities where you can go to find a meal?"

"There are these other kits, who take our food," the raccoon sobbed. "They are too big to fight and beat us up. I'll bet they killed my brother."

"That's terrible!" the coyote snapped. "Did you tell the cops?"

"Why would they care, we're just street preds?" Karen sniffled. "One time Larry took our food and ate it in front of us, even though he wasn't hungry. He even took a can of sardines, which he wouldn't eat because he's a zebra, and ground them into the mud with his hoof. He did that Just so we couldn't eat them!"

"Tsk, a bully like that needs to learn a lesson!" Erma sighed. "I'd bet if he ever knew what it was like to be really hungry, he would treat others better."

"I doubt that, Karen frowned. She looked around the room at the neat piles of strange objects and herbs. "What's all this stuff?"

"I'm a shaman," the elderly coyote chuckled. "Some call me a witch doctor, but that isn't fair because there's more doctor then witch to my talents. I rarely ever curse anyone, mostly I just make potions to treat others ailments."

After the little raccoon had eaten her fill and was tucked for a nap on the couch, Erma grabbed her cane and went searching for Larry. She found the zebra terrorizing two young homeless weasels. The bully was leaning over the bloodied pair demanding their food. "Stop!" she demanded. "Leave those children alone!"

The zebra turned towards her and laughed, "Stay out of this granny before you get hurt, it's not any of your business."

"You can't keep bullying others and taking their food," she snapped. "It not right to starve others like that, get your own food."

"I told you its not any of your business!" he yelled as he shoved her away. She flailed at him with her cane and managed to hit him on his shoulder. "Fine, I'll teach you to hit me!" He shoved her again and she fell, then he began brutally kicking her as she laid bleeding on the ground.

Watching the zebra beat the elderly coyote was more then the hippo could take, he grabbed Larry and pulled him away. "You'll kill her dude, like you killed the coon!" he said.

"Don't ever do that again!" Larry yelled at the hippo, but when the larger animal just looked down at him with anger and he realized that Hank wasn't going to back down. He also suddenly realized that he couldn't bully this mammal and cussed at him as he left.

"A curse…a…curse…" Hank heard the injured coyote whisper. He looked down at her battered body, but she wasn't talking to him, instead she was speaking to what appeared to be a smoky black raven. "May he only know gluttonous hunger until the day he dies!" She said to the bird, which silently took wing and soared over the startled hippo's head as he knelt next to her broken body.

"I'm sorry I did not stop him before," Hank said. "I just didn't want to live alone on the streets, I'm going to go get some help for you." The young hippo ran towards the nearest store yelling for help.

"Who needs that fat idiot!" Larry grumbled as he walked down the street.

He was joined by Zack. "Hey dude, where's big Hank?" the other zebra asked.

"He went soft, so I dumped him," Larry replied. Suddenly, he heard flapping coming towards him and turned to see a dark raven.

"Look out Larry!" Zack yelled as a big bird swooped down. Larry threw his paws in front of him to deflect the blow, but the raven seemed to flow through his arms and slammed into his chest causing the zebra to crumple to the ground. Once he felt the pain subside, he looked around but the raven was gone.

Zack was staring at him with wide eyes and finally spoke, "Dude that bird just went into you!"

"That's stupid," Larry snorted. "Come on, I'm hungry."

Over the next few hours the zebra ate, stuffing himself with every morsel of food he could find. But no matter how much he food he consumed, he was still starving. Finally, late that night with no food left, he returned to the small shack that he, Zack, and Hank called home and laid down to try to sleep. Hank never returned and only Zack was with him. During the early morning hours, the hunger was overwhelming and he dug around for any morsel of food. "There is an oat bar somewhere around here, where is it!" he cried out in desperation.

"I got hungry and ate it," Zach replied. "You ate everything else."

"You ate it," Larry snarled, as he flipped on the light and looked at his friend. The gluttonous hunger tore through him and he looked over at his friend, his nice plump friend, as he reached for a knife.

* * *

"Early the next morning, the gaunt zebra staggered out onto the sidewalk and collapsed. He was chewing on his own arm and crying out in hunger. By the time the police arrived, he had starved to death. They found the gutted remains of Zach in the old shack and as for little Karen, she was raised by Erma. Over the course of the next few weeks, it seemed that anyone who stood on this spot became ravenously hungry. The city finally drove this pole into the spot so no one could stand here, but if you hug this pole you might still feel the hunger," the wolf said. "So does a cursed ghost still haunt this spot or is it the remains of a curse left behind?"

One by one, the mammals in the group hugged the pole, some felt hungry while others did not.

"Come on Carrots, give it a try!" Nick laughed. As the bunny hugged the pole, her stomach growled. "See it's the curse!" he laughed.

"No slick, it's the fact you ate the other half of my falafel sandwich!" she grinned. "Ghosts and curses don't exist!"

The two cute deer does were teasing the wolf, trying to get him to hug the pole. "No my lovelies, I'm already hungry enough!" he laughed. "Let's go, because there are more mysteries to tell you about tonight!"

Nick watched the rabbit gaily skip ahead of him and he sighed to himself. He was hungry alright, hungry for a bunny's love.

* * *

 **Next the Sin of Greed**


	4. A Muddy Grave (Sin of Greed)

**Chapter 4: A Muddy Grave (Sin of Greed)**

 **It's Friday night and time for another chilling chapter of Tails from the Darkside!**

 **Anyone want to guess which horror movie star from the late 1980's makes a brief cameo in this chapter?**

 **Let's join the Undertaker as he leads thirteen souls through the dark spooky streets of the city that never sleeps.**

* * *

 _The love of a bunny_? The fox shook his head in wonder at that thought, sure they were once natural enemies who had become best friends but was he in love with Judy? He knew he could never tell her what he truly felt, because it may drive her away and spoil the friendship they now had. He sighed again and began following the rest of the group as they cheerfully walked along, ready for the next story.

A mother and her son pushed past the group in a hurry, the young antelope buck was carrying a damaged little doll that looked familiar. "Huh, I haven't seen a Good Guy Doll in years?" he heard Judy say as she looked back and watched the boy walking away.

Nick turned and looked at the doll, he could swear the toy's eyes moved and its face frowned as it looked back at him! Shaking his head, he felt foolish because dolls can't do that. "These ghost stories are really getting to me!" he whispered to himself.

Judy's ears shot up and she looked up at the fox, it was obvious she had heard him. "That was one ugly doll!" she commented. "It almost looked evil, like that could happen…ha!" she gave a nervous laugh as both of the off duty cops watched the boy clutching the doll continuing his way down the sidewalk.

They were joined by another member of the group, a nerdy looking pig. "Too bad that that doll was damaged!" he said. "An original Good Guy Doll would be worth a lot of money. Most of them were recalled and destroyed years ago for some reason."

"Are you three coming?" a voice spoke behind them causing Judy to jump in surprise, the pig to squeal, and the fox's tail to bristle. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, at least not yet!" the Undertaker chuckled as he turned and led the group to an ancient looking tree.

"Long before the city was founded, there was a small settlement here called Cross Roads. It wasn't much of a town, just a general store, a windmill, and about thirty or so homes. A small rough rural farming community and this stately old oak, which was planted by the town's founder several hundred years ago, is all that remains of the town," the wolf said. "Another small community swallowed up by the larger city and almost forgotten, only remembered by the tragic story of what happened here."

"The very definition of a greedy and stingy old coot could be found in an goat name Cyrus Baake," the wolf began his story. "The old goat haggled over everything and never gave one copper penny to help another in need."

* * *

He looked up at the sky and the clouds above were pregnant with rain. After walking inside his old tar paper shack, Cyrus counted his last coin and dropped it into an old mason jar. As he rolled it around, he chuckled as one coin tinkled against another. He loved the sound of money, his money, and gingerly he pried up a floorboard and dropped the jar into his hidden spot. "You're not ready tonight," he sighed. "But soon I'll bury you in a safe spot where others can't find you, just like all the rest."

The old goat worked hard for his money and saved every cent he earned, not because he needed to save it for anything important, but because he loved having it. Not trusting the bank, he would bury jars of money in hidden places throughout his property. But some nights when he would get into the corn liquor, he would drunkenly dig up his jars and spread the money on his shack's floor and run his hoofs through the pile with an almost holy fervor. Cyrus's odd behavior was the talk of the town and the greedy goat was not liked by his neighbors, but he didn't care as long as he had his money to keep him company.

He sat in his dark room staring at the fire in the fireplace, finally the urge overcame him and he pulled up the floorboard again and removed the jar from its hiding place. He sighed with anticipation as he carefully dumped the half full jar onto the table, then he got a clean cloth from the kitchen drawer, sat down at the table and hummed a happy tune as one by one he picked up a coin and carefully polished it until it brilliantly shone in the fire's light. Satisfied, he then carefully stacked the coin with others of the same denomination. He chuckled with glee as he playfully knocked over a stack of coins and then gently restacked them.

The Barkerson boys lived on a farm several miles from the town. They had a reputation of being a rough, foulmouthed, and very violent pair of wolverines. The meanest was the eldest named Caleb, his younger brother Jacob was more sedate then his brother, more of a victim of his brother's whims then one to make trouble when left on his own accords. It was fate which brought them to the town's store on the same day old Cyrus came in for his supplies.

A great storm had blown in from the coast bring with it wind and a deluge of rain, no one could recall such vicious storm before. Wind and rain had damaged the barn on the Barkerson farm and both Caleb and Jacob had slogged their way into town to purchase nails to repair the building. As they entered, they heard old Cyrus arguing with the store owner.

"That's too much of sugar and cornmeal, you're a robber!" the goat yelled at the kindly boar.

"Now Cyrus that's the same price you paid the last two times you came in," the shop keeper sighed. "You called me a robber back then!"

The goat shifted through his coins, looking for the ones which were damaged or marred the most, before he paid. "A thief you were before and a thief you are now!" he huffed as he handed him the coins.

"The minister says the storms have ravaged the villages along the coast, especially the seal fishermammals, and I promised him I would ask for donations to help them out," the boar said. "Care to help them out?"

"I can't afford to take care of myself!" Cyrus angrily snapped back.

"Come on Cyrus, we all know you've got plenty of money!" sighed the shopkeeper. "Just dig up a jar full, you won't miss one and it would help out those poor mammals in their hour of need."

"They shouldn't have lived so close to the sea!" the goat yelled as he threw open the door and stepped into the wind and the rain.

"But their fishermammals are seals, where else would they live?" the boar laughed.

"Cheap old guy!" Caleb said as he put the bag of nails on the counter. "Hides his money you say? That's so sad." He paid for the nails and then looking at the last couple of pennies he had, he dropped them in the donation jar.

"Thanks!" the boar said. "Every cent helps!"

"Still raining," Jacob added. "How bad is it down along the coast?"

"Pretty bad," the shopkeeper said. "I've got a shipment of canned fish and some lumber in back. Either of you boys interested in helping the minister with the delivery to the coast, we could use some strong young backs to help pull the carts."

"I've got the barn to fix!" Caleb sighed.

"I'll help!" Jacob excitedly said. "You don't need me to patch the roof, can't you can spare me for a few days?"

"Sure little brother," Caleb chuckled. "In fact why don't you stay in town tonight so you're here bright and early?"

"You can sleep in the back of the shop!" the boar added. So the brothers parted ways, but unknown to Jacob, Caleb had no intentions of returning home that night. Instead he planned to make a visit to a stingy old goat.

Another storm came in that night, wind and rain lashed the poor town. In his tar shack, the goat began to drink and the more he drank, the more he worried. He didn't worry about the poor folk along the coast no instead he worried that his jars of money might wash way in the storm. The wind was howling by the time he staggered out into the yard with his shovel. Pacing his steps in the dark rain, he dug up and brought in each and every jar of coins he had hidden. Leaving the shovel at the door, he stoked the fire and emptied the jars onto the floor and began counting. The night sky outside was lit by flashes of lighting and thunder shook the shack. Suddenly there was another cracking noise and the goat stood and faced the muscular wolverine, who had broken the door open. The beast's eyes widened as he saw the money on the floor.

"It's mine!" the goat screamed as he rushed at Caleb, frantically lashing out with his hoofs. "My money, you can't have it!"

The wolverine snarled as he brought the shovel down onto the goat's head, blow after blow until the mammal laid helplessly on the floor. Grabbing the goat's legs, he dragged him across the yard and into the bushes where he dug a trench in the muddy ground. Finally satisfied, he rolled Cyrus into the grave. As the goat hit the bottom of the hole, his eyes opened and he choked out, "Mine!"

"No, the money is now mine!" Caleb laughed as he shoveled the muddy soil into the grave. The goat moaned as the mud hit him and he tried to pull himself up, finally collapsing under the weight of the muddy earth only to be buried alive. The wolverine didn't even give a second thought about his evil deed as he returned to the shack and threw the coins into sacks, then he began his walk home as the storm raged around him. When he arrived at the farm he hid the sacks in the barn and went inside to greet his parents.

The next morning, Jacob joined the shopkeeper, the minister, and a couple of wolves as they began to push and pull their carts of supplies down the muddy road towards the coast. It took them until the late afternoon before they arrived at their destination and gawked at the devastation before their eyes. "We need more supplies", the minister sighed after they unloaded their carts. "We'll need to go back in the morning and see what more we can round up."

That night, Caleb spent his time in the barn counting the money, he grinned when he totaled up the amount which was several hundred dollars, a small fortune. Putting the money back into the sacks, he yawned as he hid them before walking back to his house and tried to sleep. In the predawn darkness he heard a noise from the barn, a clinking sound. Grabbing a knife and a lantern he ran across the yard and into the barn to find the money was no longer hidden in their sacks, but nearly stacked on the floor! Angrily he looked around, but did not find anyone hiding. Recounting the money to confirm it was all still there, he hid the sacks in another place.

As the sun rose, the minister and his companions prepared to return back home. "I'm staying," Jacob announced. "They need strong backs to help them rebuild and so I'm staying here for a few more days." The minister blessed him before they left and promised to return within the week with more supplies.

The morning light brought a break from the storms and Caleb joined his father mending the barn. He was miffed that his parents were proud that his brother had chosen to help take the supplies to the coastal villages, after all he now had a fortune. But then he realized he couldn't explain where it came from and so he kept quiet. That night as his brother slept soundly on the beach, Caleb was awoken twice by the sound of coins clinking in the barn, only to find that the coins were stacked on the floor in the darkness.

The next day, both brothers toiled at their work and that night only on brother slept soundly, while the other fretted over the mysterious intruder and the coins. By the third night, Caleb decided to spend the night awake and watching in the barn. He sat in the darkness and waited for the intruder as another storm rolled in and rain lashed the barn. Hour by hour he waited, but no one came and soon he nodded off. The storm raged, but in its midst of it's fury, he heard a clink and awoke to find the coins one again stacked! Grabbing a knife, he ran out of the barn only to see a strange greenish light seemingly to be floating among the trees.

"Damn you!" he screamed into the rain as he ran after the light. Through the woods he ran, never getting any closer to the light as it bobbed before him. Down the muddy road he chased it, straight into town. He cursed as it led him into the old goat's yard and stopped over the spot where he had buried Cyrus.

Finding the shovel he began digging into the rain softened mud. "Damn you old goat, it's my money!" he screamed as he dug deeper and deeper until he found the corpse. Leaping into the grave he growled, "I killed you once and I'll kill you again!" As he landed in the hole, he suddenly realized that the rain was washing the muddy soil in on him. He desperately tried to climb out, but his hindpaw was stuck. He pulled, but soon found the mud began pooling deeper and deeper, he was trapped as the grave filled in over him.

* * *

"The next morning Jacob dug out from under the old boat where he had taken shelter in during the storm and joined the seal folk on the shore, above them a rainbow shone in the morning sun. He worked for several more days before the minister returned with the bad news about his brother. The morning after the storm, the town folk heard someone yelling and found Caleb buried in mud up to his neck. As they dug him out, they found old Cyrus's body in the bottom of the hole. It seemed like the goat's hoofs were tightly clasping the wolverine's legs and his now insane brother confessed to his crime," the Undertaker said as he pointed upwards. "For the crime of murder, they hung Caleb Barkerson from this very branch! It is said that sometimes you can see his spirit as a green ball of light if you take a photo without the flash."

Everyone pulled out their cellphones and snapped a shot of the branch, but they were disappointed when nothing showed. All but the bunny, who stared wide eyed at the hovering green ball of light in her camera's photo. "Explain that Carrots!" the awed fox mumbled.

"It must be a speck of dust!" she snapped. Then taking another photo, she yelled, "Ha! I told you so, see its gone!"

The fox looked down at her and then peered back at the branch, he almost screamed when a leaf fell on his nose.

* * *

 **Chapter Notes:**

 **The Good Guy Doll is from the mind of Tom Holland and the creative talents of Kevin Yager. The name and the implied popular horror movie series is used in this story with the upmost respect, so please don't send HIM after me!**


	5. Wait For Me (Sin of Sloth)

**Chapter 5: Wait For Me (Sin of Sloth)**

 **It's another frightful Friday and time for our next story about the macabre.**

 **Following our 1980's theme, Warner Brothers released one of the best vampire movies ever produced,** _ **The Lost Boys.**_ **The movie was a combination of humor and horror, featuring the talents of Kiefer Sutherland, Cory Feldman, Corey Haim, among others.**

 **So cue the song** _ **Cry Little Sister,**_ **as I present tonight's Tails from the Darkside…**

* * *

Nick looked embarrassed as he saw Judy's grin, a full grown fox scared of a leaf! He tried to think of something witty to say, but before he could speak he heard someone calling to him from across the street. "Hey you two," a teenage raccoon called. "Yeah, you fox!"

Nick looked down at Judy, who shrugged and walked across the street towards the two raccoons standing in front of a comic book store.

"Are you lost boys?" the rabbit asked. "We're off duty cops, what can we do to help you?"

"Geeze lady, we already took care of those lost boys!" one of the teenagers sarcastically replied. "We work here!"

Judy rolled her eyes as she saw Nick digging into a display of comics, "Again, what can we do to help?"

"The question is what we can do to help you?" the other raccoon asked. "You're with that blood sucking evil vampire over there!"

"The Undertaker?" Nick scoffed. "He's just a harmless storyteller."

"He's an evil bloodsucking vamp, just look at him!"

"Alan! Edward! Stop bugging my customers," the wolf yelled as he crossed the street. "How many times have I told you I am not a vampire?"

"Your all white and have fangs," Edward snapped back.

"I'm an arctic wolf!" The Undertaker huffed. "We have white fur and all wolves have fangs. You're a raccoon, you've got fangs too!"

"Geeze dude, he right you've got fangs! you're a vampire!" Alan yelled at Edward.

"Ahhh! We're both vampires!" Edward yelled, as he felt his teeth. Then grabbing a squirt gun, he began shooting the other raccoon. "Try holy water, death breath!"

Judy shook her head as she and Nick left the two raccoons dousing each other with water. "You'll have to forgive the Frog brothers because they haven't been right since they moved here from Santa Carla." The wolf sighed.

* * *

Walking down the street, the group stopped at long abandoned rail station and the Undertaker began his tale, "Al Hoofling was a handsome young buck full of life and enthusiasm and he had won the heart a pretty doe by the name of Cindy. But, he wanted her to have more of a life then being the wife of a weaver, so he decided that he would go west and get rich."

* * *

"Wait for me," he said as she stood on the station platform, I'll only be gone a few years and when I return with my fortune we'll marry." He tenderly kissed her before boarding the train car, the young buck was excitedly looking forward about the adventure that awaited him out West.

Mary sighed as the train pulled away from the station, she would wait and one day soon he would return.

But for Al Hoofing, life out West wasn't the easy life he was expecting and soon he found himself dejected as he took for himself the only job he could get, working in a factory as a weaver.

"When are you going home to that pretty doe," his friend Hertz asked him as the tall moose passed him the bottle, they sat on the shack's steps. The elderly moose was the buck's only friend and had offered him lodging in his old cabin.

"One day soon," he replied. "Maybe tomorrow."

Days passed into weeks and every time the buck was asked the question, he would reply, "Maybe tomorrow."

But Al wasn't making his fortune, far from it. The more he worked, the less he was about his enthusiasm for life. He soon found himself returning from work in the evenings and going to bed.

"You really need to learn to have fun," the moose would chide him. "You are young, go outside and enjoy the evening."

"Maybe tomorrow," he sighed as he went to his room.

The months came and went and his friend worried. "When was the last time you wrote your doe?" Hertz asked the buck one evening. "Surly, you need to let her know that you're okay and that you miss her."

The buck looked over at him and answered, "Maybe tomorrow." Then he stood up and went to his room.

Back home, the doe sighed as she saw the train leave the station and sniffled as she walked back home. "He wasn't on this train, I hope he's okay!" she said to her mother.

Her mother looked over at her and scoffed, "He doesn't even write you, why do you wait? Every week you go to the station to meet the Western train, then you come back home sad. There are plenty of buck's who would court you."

"I'm sure I'll get a letter," Cindy sighed. "Maybe tomorrow?"

Every week she would walk to the station and wait, every week she sadly walked home alone. Soon the town folk became sorry for her, but she continued month after month and their sorrow turned to scorn.

"Why is she throwing herself away like that?"

"Wasting her life on that tramp, he'll never come back!"

It was late winter, when the buck's elderly friend caught ill from the cold chill. "Al, please go into town and get the doctor." He begged.

"It's cold and dark out there tonight," Al replied as he walked into his room. "Maybe tomorrow."

The old moose died that night as his friend slept in his room. When he awoke, Al looked at the body and muttered, "I had better tell the Sheriff." Then realizing it was his day off from work, he added, "Maybe tomorrow."

He spent the whole day in his room, since old Hertz was dead there were no meal being made. The buck felt his stomach growl and thought about getting up and cooking something, but instead he rolled over and muttered, "Maybe tomorrow."

Months turned into years and still Cindy went down to the station weekly to meet the train, but her lover never came. Still every week she waited.

The town's folk muttered behind her back, "She's crazy and should be locked away."

As for Al, with Hertz not around, the buck just came back to the old shack and went to his room. When the roof began to leak, he thought about repairing it. Finally he shrugged and muttered, "maybe tomorrow."

It was a bright sunny day winter morning when the now middle aged buck stepped out of his shack. He looked around him and muttered, "Today is the day." He went back in the shack and gathered his belongings, along with what money he had saved. That afternoon he took the train eastward towards home and the doe he loved. Days later as he stepped out on the station's platform, he looked around but she wasn't there. "I guess she didn't wait," he sighed.

He walked to her house and knocked, the door was opened by Cindy's elderly mother who looked at him and frowned. "Every week of her damned life she waited for you!" she yelled as tears filled her eyes. "Now you come home for her? Now you show up here, you're too late! She's dead…dead because of you!" The elderly doe slammed the door in his snout.

Al was taken aback, she's dead? Numbly, he turned to walk away and then a neighbor came out. "She died two weeks ago from pneumonia. Cindy was already sick with fever, but she wouldn't stay in bed. She insisted that she wait at the station for the train, she said you were coming home. When you didn't arrive, she walked home in the cold rain and died of the fever that very night, you killed her!"

In a panic, he ran to the cemetery and found her grave. Tears ran down his snout as he read the words on the stone, _She waited for love that never came._ He screamed in his misery and tore at the grass, tossing dirt into the air, and tearing his clothes. He finally collapsed sobbing onto her grave.

* * *

"The buck had a nervous breakdown that night and he would neither eat nor sleep. Every afternoon he would run to the station and await her to arrive. When she didn't, he would mutter to himself, "Maybe tomorrow."

Every day he became weaker and weaker as his grief grew, until finally he was a broken shell of himself, a thin wisp of a deer. They tried to keep him from coming to the station. They even tried to lock him up, but he was truly a lost soul. One day he escaped and lay weakly panting on the platform awaiting her. Once again the authorities came for him, but before they could pick him up and take him away, he smiled and muttered, "Maybe tomorrow." Then he closed his eyes and died." The Undertaker said. "She never came for him, as he never came for her, and it is said that even after death their spirits await here for each other, still missing each other in the darkness and never resting but only waiting."

"Wow Carrots, that story was a heart breaker," the fox sighed. "If I ever acted that way, don't wait,"

"Who said I'd wait?" the rabbit scoffed. "I've got better thing to do then wait on a slothful fox!"

"Ouch, Nick protested. "Is that anyway to treat your partner? Besides sloths are hardworking productive members of our society, they just work at their own pace."

"Okay…okay…I should have said lazy," she sighed. "My lazy fox."

"Yours?" the fox scoffed. "Are you getting possessive in your old age Carrots?" He looked down, her nose was twitching and her ears were erect as she stared back at the platform.

Judy had heard something, was it a voice? She intently listened and she heard it again, just a faint ghostly whisper, "Maybe tomorrow." She leapt in panic, rushing to Nick and grabbing his arm.

"Hey watch the grip, your cutting off my blood circulation!" The fox halfheartedly protested. Then looking down at her wide violet eyes, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Just a little cold!" she squeaked out. She relaxed when she felt his tail wrap protectively around her.

* * *

 **A little note about this chapter, this sin is hard to work into a story and I'm sorry if it doesn't live up to my previous work.**

 **Next week, the Sin of Anger!**


	6. Useless (Sin of Wrath)

**Chapter 6: Useless (Sin of Wrath)**

 **Happy Frightful Friday!**

 **Freddy Krueger slashed his way across the world's movie screens in 1984 and the hit movie _A Nightmare on Elm Street_ has caused chills and nightmares for thousands ever since. The movie was also Johnny Depp's first on-screen role, playing a teenage character named Glen. Maybe Freddy has made it to Zootopia…who knows?**

 **Let's find out in tonight's story, as I present another Tails from the Darkside…**

* * *

The rabbit shivered as she clung to the protection of her partner's fluffy tail, surely she was mistaken because there was no way she heard a voice. Ghosts, bah! It had to be the wind…yeah that was just the wind. As the group walked down the sidewalk they crossed over Elm Street.

"Yo dude, didn't you live around here Mammal?" a glassy eyed lynx asked his companion, a scruffy dark haired rat.

"Yeah homie just down the road, the rat answered. "I hated that place, remember the nightmares I had?"

"For sure, you mean the ones with that freaky dude named Freddy," the lynx said.

"He was one mean rat," the dark haired rat replied. "Had that ugly red and green striped sweater, along with a fedora hat. Remember that glove he wore, you know with the knives?"

"Dude looked he had the mange, all scarred like that," the lynx grinned. "You had me come over and spend the night. That was some stash of nip you had, sent me soaring!"

"Then we both passed out mammal," the rat chuckled. "That was good stuff!"

"Hey, remember that dream. The rat dude had you in a corner and you we're yelling ahhh!" the lynx said. "I saw him and screamed ahhhh too!"

"Yeah dude, he had us trapped against the wall and he was doing that creepy maniacal laugh," the rat said.

"He was waving that glove around like claws," the lynx added. "Scared us both, until I remembered I'm cat and I have my own claws on both paws."

"I never dreamed of him again after that night," the rat said. "What happened to that guy?"

"You know how nip makes me hungry?" the big cat shrugged. "So I ate him."

"Dude, you can't eat other mammals!" the rat commented. "I thought you were a vegan?"

"For sure, dude," the lynx replied. "It was just a dream and he tasted totally like tofu, only crunchy."

"Mammal, that is gross!" the rat yelled.

"Good times, dude!" the lynx said with a smile as he stumbled after the rest.

Nick looked down at Judy and asked, "Is it me or does that cat sound just like Yax at the Mystic Springs Oasis?"

The rabbit nodded. "Hey Nick," she suddenly said. "Do you ever have dreams of eating another animal?"

"Naw," he answered with a shrug. "I only dream of rainbows and unicorns. Who would I eat, Bogo? He would be like chewing on a brick!"

"What about me?" she hesitantly asked. "Foxes used to eat rabbits."

Putting his paws on her shoulders, he leaned down and replied, "Carrots, you are my partner and my best friend! I would never hurt you or let anyone else hurt you!"

"Good, I would hate to beat you up again!" she laughed as she skipped away. "Just like I did in the boxing ring!"

"Hey, I had a cold that day!" the fox protested. Then as she gaily skipped away, he sighed and muttered to himself, "I do wonder what your kisses would taste like?"

They stopped in front of a shop and the group gathered around the white wolf, he had been whispering something to one of the now blushing coeds. In front of them was a popular bar called Big Henry's Anvil and Judy muttered in disappointment, "Everyone has heard of this place, haunted by a ghost…yada…yada."

"Big John was the town's best blacksmith…," the grinning wolf began his story as his eyes stared at the bunny.

* * *

"You bought a timber wolf pup!" Emily snapped at the big bull. "Really John, you know how I feel about predators and what am I going to feed him? He can't just eat oats and hay!"

The scrawny black and grey pup looked dejectedly down at the floor, his ears droopy and his tail between his legs.

"I need some help around the smithy and you're useless at that kind of work," Big Henry bellowed. "If you could breed, I'd have sons by now to help me but you're as barren as a stone."

The cow began to cry, "I tried, but…."

"Always but!" the bull huffed as he pulled the little pup's collar. The wolf gave a little yelp from the pain as he followed the bull out of the door. "If I didn't owe her father so much money, I divorce her and find a real heifer."

He dragged the staving pup into the smithy, "You will work the bellows and press them together when I tell you. I paid ten bucks to your father for you and you're going to work every penny back or I 'll use your pelt for a blanket."

The wolf stared wide eyed at his master in fear. "Work!" the bull yelled. The pup pushed as hard as he could on the massive bellows. "Harder!" came the command and he pup pushed harder, pushing with all his strength. "Useless!" yelled the bull as he pulled the wolf closer by his leash. The blow from the big bull's hoof sent the little pup sprawling and yelping. He crawled into the corner and whimpered for the remainder of the morning.

Henry pulled the pup into the house. "I wasted my money on this one!" he yelled to Emily. "No lunch for him, maybe he will learn to obey if he's hungry. I don't want to see his tail for the rest of the day, so find something for him to do!" The bull ate his hay and drank his beer, finally belching as he stood and then stormed out of the house.

The cow looked down at the little pup curled in a ball under the counter, he was so venerable looking and cute. "By the Lamb above, he's not going to starve you under my roof!" she mooed as she poured a bowl of cooked oat gruel with grasshoppers and placed it on the floor. "The shopkeeper said to feed you this, I hope it's good." She watched the little pup sniff the bowl and then greedily dig into it with his paw, chewing mouthfuls of the gruel.

Sighing, the bovine turned to clean up the mess her husband had left on the table and as she pilled the plates into the sink, she heard, "Thank you ma'am, that was good." Looking down, she saw the pup standing there holding the empty bowl and looking back up at her with those adorable eyes.

"You haven't eaten in a long time," she sighed as she leaned over and wiped his paws with a wet cloth. The pup shook his sad little head no, but his tail was wagging. "Now go weed the garden and here is a crock for any bugs you catch for your dinner." She watched in surprise at the smile he gave her as he walked towards the garden, clutching the crock.

"What is your name," she asked before he reached the door.

"Jimmy," he replied. "My name is Jimmy."

"You're feeding him?" the bull grumbled that evening as he watched the pup eating his bug and oat gruel with a spoon. The little wolf looked over at him with fearful eyes.

"He did a good job weeding the garden and caught his own bugs for his dinner," Emily answered. "Jimmy earned his dinner."

"Jimmy?" the bull bellowed, causing the frightened pup to cower . "His name is now Useless! What's you name boy?"

The pup whimpered, "Useless, sir."

"Yeah, Useless!" the bull laughed.

Over the years, Useless grew into a powerful strapping young wolf. He had become old enough to work in the smithy with the bull, who still beat him when angry. But the canid was well liked by the customers, who preferred his work over his masters. He also became like a son to Emily, who doted over the wolf much to the displeasure of her abusive husband.

They called it the Great Hammer, because only Big Henry could life the huge sledge hammer. The bull was proud of that fact and would laugh when others tried to lift and use it. "This town is full of weaklings!" he would boast.

Then one day at the pub, a customer of his casually said to him as he was boasting, "Useless can lift it too, I saw him do so last week."

The bull was beside himself in anger as he charged down the street into his home, "Where's that damn wolf!" he yelled at Emily.

"You'll not hurt him again!" she shrieked at him. "He has been a good boy! You can't beat him again, he is no slave and has paid off his indentured contract with hard work!"

He shoved her aside into the stove, "I'm going to put an end to this today!" he bellowed at her. She lifted and swung an iron skillet at him in vain as his hoofs beat her. His anger consumed him and he beat her harder and harder, until she lay silently on the floor.

"Emily!" he heard the wolf cry out as he shoved him out of the way and knelt beside the cow. "You killed her!" he growled as he stood and faced the bull.

"She was useless!" he bellowed as he struck the wolf. "Useless, just like you!"

The bull's eyes widened as he saw that the smaller but muscular wolf didn't even flinch as he took the blows. "No, you're the useless one!" the wolf snarled and then hit the bovine with a blow that sent the bull reeling to the ground.

When he woke up, the bull found himself gagged and his forehoofs tied to two anvils and above him stood the snarling wolf. "You have beaten me almost every day I've lived here, despite telling my father you would never hurt me. You have hit Emily and belittled her too many times, now she is dead by your hooves. She was the only mother I ever knew." The bull's eyes opened in fear as he saw the wolf pick up a small hammer. "These hoofs have brought pain to me and Emily too often, but no more!" The wrathful wolf growled as he brought the hammer down upon the bull's hoofs, smashing them. His cries were muffled by the gag.

"Useless!" the enraged wolf snarled as he walked over and picked up the Great Hammer. "My name isn't Useless, it's Jimmy!" The sledgehammer came down onto the bovine's skull with a meaty thump.

* * *

"They never caught Jimmy and rumor is that he fled west and joined a coyote pack," the Undertaker said as he unlocked the door behind them and opened it. Inside was a huge sledge hammer sitting on the floor in a puddle of what seemed like dried blood. "The hammer is cursed, only the offspring of Jimmy can lift it or so they say. As for the blood, it bleeds new blood every night and scientists are baffled." Then looking at the rabbit, the wolf added, "Reports on the wall confirm it is blood. I've had it tested by a friend and she says it's a rather tasty bovine type 0 positive."

The fox read the articles on the wall, "Wow Carrots this one is by the police pathologist!"

As they were leaving, Judy saw two of the group hanging back in the room. One was a rather tall muscular coywolf and the other his coyote wife. Thinking no one was watching the coywolf stepped over to the huge hammer and grunted as he lifted it up. As he gently began setting it back into place, she heard the coyote exclaim, "Your great grandfather Jimmy would be proud of you honey!"

The Undertaker smiled as he walked past her and ushered them out before he locked the door behind him. "I was going you ask you if all rabbits were nosy, but I almost forgot you're a cop too!" the wolf chuckled as he passed her and the fox.

"Explain the blood Carrots!" the fox said to her.

She frowned before replying, "Someone sneaks in nightly with fresh blood, its that simple."

"I guess, but who would do that for over a hundred years?" the skeptical fox asked.

"Probably a dumb fox," she huffed as she angrily left him behind. Then suddenly she stopped and asked, "Hey Nick, I'm I nosy?"

* * *

 **Next week, the Sin of Envy!  
**


	7. The Last Dance (Sin of Envy)

**Chapter 7: The Last Dance (Sin of Envy)**

 **It's a special night tonight…Friday the 13** **th** **!**

 **Jason Voorhees slashed and hacked his way into the movie world's horror hall of fame in 1980 with** _ **Friday the 13**_ _ **th**_ **and it is the slasher movie that keeps on giving and giving and giving. Heck, I'm not sure where we are with remakes and sequels? Does anyone out there remember who the villain was in the first movie, it wasn't Jason? As for his iconic mask, he didn't get that hockey goaltender's mask until the third movie.**

 **So turn on all your lights and huddle in the corner** **as I present tonight's** _ **Tails From the Darkside story**_ **…**

* * *

"Do you think I'm nosy?" Judy asked her partner.

The fox looked down at the rabbit who's little nose was twitching and her ears were laid back, as they did when she was concerned. He had to admit that she was…well, really cute. His gaze swept to her neck and even further down, before he caught himself blushing.

"Nick, are you listening to me?" she asked again. "Do you think I'm nosy?"

"Carrots, you're a cop!" Nick replied. "We cops are trained to be inquisitive." Then his trademark smirk came to his muzzle as he leaned down and placing a digit to her nose as he added, "But your nose is really cute."

"Nicholas P. Wilde!" she snapped at him. "How many times do I have to tell you that only another rabbit can call a rabbit cute?"

Nick grinned, but before he could reply there was a scream as one of the collage aged does picked up a white object in her hoof. She turned it slowly before handing it to the white wolf, who was giving her a perplexed look as he held the hockey mask up to the light. Her sorority sister friend ran to her and held her in her arms as she shook.

Judy went into full blown police mode as she hurried over to the deer and asked, "Are you okay? Why did you scream like that?"

"I'm sorry, it's just that mask reminded me of something that happened near where I grew up. I lived in Deerborne County," the doe answered with a shudder.

Judy gave a little gasp when she heard that name, because she knew what had happened there. It was in their studies at the police academy as a textbook example of a mass murder.

"There was an old campground over at Crystal Lake and when I was a fawn, several teenaged mammals were murdered there," the doe continued. "The sheriff said it was a crazy lady whose son had drowned in the lake years ago and she blamed the campground's counselors. Then it turned out he hadn't died but was living in the woods, we thought he was finally dead after he killed more mammals."

Judy gave her a nod and added, "They thought he was dead the second time, but he wasn't and began killing again. What was his name?"

"Jason," the deer doe whimpered. "And he wore a mask almost like that one."

The Undertaker frowned at the mask and sighed as he threw it into the trash, "Well that one is too small in the snout for a deer to wear because it's more the size and shape of a medium sized cat. I'll bet it was dropped by some kitten returning from hockey practice over in Tundratown."

Judy looked up at him with a frown and said, "Jason was a bobcat."

The wolf shrugged as he took the coed into his protective arms. "It doesn't matter because he's dead right?" he said.

As they walked off down the street, no one saw the hideously deformed paw that reached into the trash and pulled out the mask.

They stopped before the old Regal Hotel, an ornate stone and brick building built during the so called Roaring Twenties. The once four-star hotel had seen better days and now had been converted into apartments. The wolf gave a toothy grin and began his story, "Some animals have to feel that they must be better than everyone else."

* * *

"Mother!" the teenage beaver whined as she slammed her tail onto the floor with a resounding crack. "Polly got a brand new dress just like mine, but in blue!"

"Really Mable, yours is pink and brings out the brown of your cheek fur," the chubby older female replied as she tried on a pearl bracelet that the jewelry shop owner was showing her.

"But she always tries to look better then me," the younger beaver sniffled. "I wish I had her figure!"

"You have a very nice figure for a beaver," her mother absently replied. "Polly is an otter, of course she is thinner. Now come over here and we will get you a pair of new earrings to go with your new dress. What color is your new dress going to be again?"

A few days later, Mable walked across the marble floors of her father's office and past the wood paneled desks to his door. "Father, we need to speak," she said as she entered the room.

The portly beaver looked up at her from his papers and frowned, "What is it now!" he sighed. Reginald James Beverton had made a rather large fortune in selling the cement used during the building of the Great Wall which separated Tundratown from hot dry Canyonlands on the other side. The wall was one of the world's great engineering marvels.

"I heard that Sarah's father has a new limousine to take her and her friends to the social," the young beaver complained.

"So what?" James Beaverton replied in an exasperated voice as he tugged loose his green and yellow tie from the collar of his white shirt. "We have a limo also."

"But hers is brand new!" Mable whined. "Everyone has seen ours already."

"A limo is a limo," he huffed as he waved a dismissive paw at her. "Go, I've got work to do."

The young beaver pouted and slapped her tail, only when her father looked up from his papers did she storm out all tearful.

Dinner that night was not a enjoyable event for James as both his wife and daughter complained about his failing to worry about or maintain their family's social status in the city. He listened to their envious gossip concerning what others in society were doing or owned. Finally, he broke down and ordered a new limousine.

The night of the big social came and Mable was dressed in her blue silk dress with diamond and garnet jewelry which sparkled in the light. "Oh my!" her mother said as she gleefully clasped her paws. "You will be the envy of all the other girls!"

Mable grinned upon hearing that and twirled. "I hope Mark and Samuel will dance with me tonight!" she exclaimed. "Surely they will see that I am the prettiest girl at the dance."

She and her friends arrived at the social in the new limousine and as they entered, all eyes watched her in her new silk dress. But, when the dancing began Mark asked Polly and Samuel asked Sarah.

Dejected, she stood alone with her friends and gossiped about the other girls. "I heard that Polly lets Mark kiss her!" she said to her friend. "I'll bet she lets him do more then just kissing!"

As the evening continued, the gossip became more spiteful.

"So why is the most beautiful girl here not dancing?" a voice asked from behind her. She turned to face the speaker, a small handsome white billy goat in a jet black suit, dark blue shirt, and a blood red tie. "My name is Abaddon, but please call me Don."

She blinked as she looked into his strange piercing eyes. He smile and said, "You shouldn't be envious of others, they should be envious of you!"

"I do have the prettiest dress here!" she proclaimed as she twirled in the silk gown.

"Don't forget the emeralds and diamonds that twinkle in your ears and around your dainty neck," the goat said with a strange grin. "No other girl could wear them as you can and as for that skinny little otter, well does she have such a shiny tail?"

"You like my tail?" Mable asked. "I had the maid wax it just for tonight."

"It is like you, just absolutely gorgeous," Don chuckled. Then he asked as he bowed to her, "Would you like to dance?"

She giggled as he took her paws in his hoofs and led her out onto the dancefloor. Slipping a hoof around her waist they began a waltz and soon he was twirling her across the room.

"Oh this is perfect!" she laughed to the goat. "Let them all see that I have the best dance partner tonight. I hope this never ends, they all should be envious of me tonight!"

"Envious?" the goat replied as he looked into her eyes. "Weren't you envious of them?"

Faster and faster they went as she frowned at what he said to her. Soon he swept her out onto the patio and then she felt like she was dancing on air.

* * *

"Mable Beaverton plummeted from the sixteen story ballroom onto the street below," the wolf said. "Her friends said she was acting strange, as if she was dancing with someone who wasn't there and cried out the name Abaddon before she fell. The strangest part is that several witnesses reported that she floated ten feet past the railing, still dancing on nothing but air before she dropped to her death."

"Abaddon?" the nerdy pig said. "Where have I heard that name before?"

"For sure dude, he's the Angel of Destruction or Guardian of Hell," the lynx replied.

"Are you sure homie?" the dark haired rat asked. "Isn't that that my cousin's third ex-wife's brother's name?"

"I know!" the nerdy pig proclaimed. "It's the name of a two-handed sword in World of Warcraft!"

The Undertaker sighed as he facepawed himself and shook his head.

"I think it was a good story," one of the coeds proclaimed, as the doe put her hoofs on his chest. "I was very scary."

"What do you think?" Nick asked his partner, but she wasn't paying him any attention and seemed to be peering up at the building before them. It was then that he realized they were holding paws, so instead of speaking again, he just held her paw.

Judy was staring at something…no someone…watching them from the sixteenth floor. She frowned as she tried to make out the white animal, was it a goat? She was startled as it suddenly just faded away, then she looked in confusion first at the building and then up at Nick.

"Something catch your eye?" he asked with a smirk. "Something besides this handsome hunk of a fox?"

* * *

 **Next week is the Sin of Pride.**


	8. Mr Bones (Sin of Pride)

**Chapter 8: Mr. Bones (Sin of Pride)**

 **It's another Friday night and the autumn leaves are beginning to fall. The crisp evening wind is blowing, rustling through the dried corn stalks or is there something evil making that noise as it moves through the cornfield? What is that strange light shining inside the old cabin in the woods?**

 **The year 1981 brought us a cult classic,** _ **The Evil Dead!**_ **An unlikely hero, Ashley "Ash" James Williams, fought the evil deadites unleashed by a cursed book called the** **Necronomicon. This horror comedy spawned two sequels,** _ **Evil Dead II**_ **and** _ **Army of Darkness,**_ **not to mention a TV Series, video games, comic books, and even a musical.**

 **So grab your "** _ **Boomstick"**_ **as I present tonight's** _ **Tails From the Darkside**_ **story…**

* * *

"Did something catch your eye?" Nick asked with a smirk as he looked down at her. "Something besides this handsome hunk of a fox?" She blushed and then realizing that she was still holding his paw, she let go and crossed her arms as she gave him a withering look.

"No slick, but if you do see a handsome hunk of a fox let me know," she relied in a sugary sweet voice. "All I have is your scrawny tail to look at!" The look on his face immediately had her wishing that she hadn't said that to him, he actually looked hurt by her words. Nick was very handsome and had a muscular, but lean body that she...Oh sweet cheese and crackers, why was she thinking about him in that manner!

Composing himself, the fox smirked again before he replied, "Well fluff, not all of us can be…"

A strange tall mammal wearing a stained blue shirt stumbled into him. "Great now walking and talking animals!" the creature muttered as it pushed him aside. "I'm going to find you book and tear you apart page by page!"

As the odd pinkish almost furless creature walked around the street corner and into a nearby alley, Judy asked, "Did that…that…whatever, have a chainsaw?"

Sure enough the sounds of chainsaw came from the alleyway and a shout, "Oh no, you're not getting away this time!"

The two cops ran towards the noise, but the alley was empty. They looked around, but all the doors were locked, there was no way out. "Hey Carrots!" Nick called. "Look at this, it's a name badge! It says Ash Williams with S-Mart."

"What's S-Mart?" Judy asked. "And where did he go?"

"Doesn't look like he's here now and no sign of a crime," the fox shrugged. "Let's get back with the group. That had to be the ugliest creature I've ever seen, it's only fur was between its ears!"

As Judy left, the wolf pushed past Nick and into the alley where he angrily looked around. As the fox watched, the Undertaker growled, "This is Zootopia and you don't belong here! Next time I'll tell the mouse!"

As if it was part of the wall, a skeletal paw appeared and flipped him its middle digit. There was a ringing noise and cussing as the Undertaker slammed his shovel onto the paw before it disappeared. The fox stared at the white arctic wolf as he huffed by mumbling, "Damn Deadites!"

"J…u…d…y!" the fox yelped as he ran past the wolf to catch up with his partner. When he caught up to her, he gripped her smaller paw again with his larger now shaking paw.

"What's wrong Nick?" she asked as she looked up at the wide-eyed, heavily panting, and obviously scared fox.

The fox was about to answer when he suddenly noticed the Undertaker, who he knew was behind him, was instead in front of him in the middle of the crowd. "How?" he muttered. "That's impossible?"

"What's wrong partner?" the rabbit asked the confused looking fox, who had now cocked his head in that peculiar inquisitive candid way.

"Ah…nothing, I think?" Nick replied.

They stood in front of the main entry to Ravencroft Cemetery, the great gates were closed with chains and strong locks sealing the entry. "Welcome to hell on earth," the Undertaker began his story. "At least this is hell for thirteen souls, trapped within these iron fences."

* * *

She had soft luxurious fur that was shampooed to silky perfection and he shook in ecstasy as his scissors trimmed the alpaca's fur to a gorgeous style which was much too fine for its former owner, who's crumpled bloody body had disappeared into the deep hole. Standing back, the cougar admired his handiwork before he stretched the pelt out to cure next to the others. He held up a small rack holding another pelt, this one of a lovely red squirrel. He turned it so he could carefully check for any problems and then smiled a toothy grin as he placed it upon the wall next to that of a grey squirrel.

"Perfection, my dear!" he spoke to the remains of a once vibrant young doe, moving his comb gently along the rabbit's brown and white fur. Then reaching for a knife, he carefully began the skinning process.

"Bastard!" his visitor croaked out the words from his bloodied mouth.

Looking down at the black rabbit, the cougar sighed, "It's too bad that you had that one white spot, I've been seeking a jet black rabbit for my collection."

"Bastard," the rabbit croaked out again.

"I was going to let you watch as I work," the cougar snarled. "I take great pride in my work, after all I do have the finest collection of furs in the world."

"They're as ugly as your soul," the almost all black rabbit muttered as he struggled with his bonds.

Exasperated, the cougar grabbed the buck and threw him head first into the stinking hole. The rabbit hit his head as he fell, mercifully knocking him unconscious before he could see the gristly sight which awaited him at the pit's bottom.

When Abraham Jumpstout awoke in the darkness, the stench of death was overwhelming. He felt the squishiness of the decaying bodies under him and it made him sick. He sobbed in the darkness, bemoaning his fate and that of his girlfriend. Suddenly there was a light from above and with hope he looked upwards, only to see the cougar briefly looking at him before he carelessly tossed the bloody carcass of girlfriend down upon him. The lid was closed and darkness returned, as he pushed himself into a corner away from the body and sobbed.

The universal question becomes what will a mammal do to survive? The buck didn't have any idea of how long he laid in that hellhole because it seemed like forever as his mind began to snap in and out of reality, before finally sliding completely into insanity. As his mind fell apart, so did his body and in his desperate hunger he found himself gnawing on the remains in the pit. But, a rabbit's body cannot digest so much protein and he soon became deathly ill. Then sometime in the darkness, in that hell on earth, his body gave out and his soul slipped free from his tortured body. He floated free, but Instead of crossing over his soul remained tethered by his hate and madness.

They came to him, the twelve tormented souls of the cougar's blade and he rose into their swirling mass of energy, like blue balls of lightning that moved in and out of reality. He called them to him and together they conspired their revenge. Somehow they began to build from the shattered remains of their rotted bodies a creature created by their insanity and animated by pure hate. Bone upon bones they joined, held together by rotting sinew, completing a creature of hideous appearance and size

It crawled slowly up and out of the dreaded pit, a creature driven solely by anger, hate, and revenge. When it reached the top, it shoved itself out of the hole and stepped out into the cool darkness of the cougar's hidden room. Sightless eyes sought out what was theirs, the furs hanging from the racks like paintings on a wall and they tore them down. Just like they had assembled the creature, they weaved their furs into a patchwork cloak and pulled it on. In the dark they waited for their tormentor to return, like a spider awaiting its prey.

The cougar was obsessed with is work, Peter Catsmane had been a groomer of great renown and his gifted paws had cared for some of the city's most beautiful mammals. Then he made a mistake, he cut too much wool from the body of the wife of one of the richest wool barons and the ewe ruined his career almost overnight. Soon he was forced to sell his salon and relocate to the city's East Side, as a barber for the working class. His obsession to groom only the most beautiful grew, but it was like creating a diamond with the heart of coal. His talents were wasted on those who's outward appearance was not matched by their intellect, they were flawed diamonds. Then he discovered he could collect the best in pristine condition, one pelt at the time. The brown and white doe was his twelfth pelt, but now he impatiently waited for his next possible victim.

It rose from the darkened corner and advanced upon the startled cougar, he fell back against the table at the sight of the creature. Then he realized it was wearing his pelts…his precious pelts! Snatching up a knife he ran at the thing and stabbed into it before its paw grabbed his neck and lifted him from the ground. He slashed and screamed curses at the thing with no avail as it slowly snapped his back. Then the creature stumbled as it picked up the knife and began to slowly skin the paralyzed live cougar. The police found his pelt on the street and searched his premises, quickly finding his body thrown into the horrid pit among the unused remains of his thirteen victims. He was now the fourteenth soul, but instead crossing over to his inevitable punishment, the dark evil of his soul became the corrupter of the others and held within the creature they created. They were truly a monster hidden in the shadows awaiting its next victim, still searching for the next perfect pelt.

* * *

"They buried the bodies here in the old Ravencroft Cemetery and as they say, the dead must follow the dead. It's within the cemetery where they were buried, stalking among the tombs and dark shadows of the night. The dead are repelled by iron and the cemetery's iron fences hold it at bay, but now and again bloody pelts began to appear from fools who venture in there during the dark. A few hardy souls have escaped only to babble about a cloaked monster chasing them and several times the police have searched during the daylight hours, but found nothing. Finally the city chained and welded the gates closed so no one else might enter," the Undertaker said as he leaned on his shovel. "But still it wanders, awaiting to skin its next victim. There are thirteen tortured souls held hostage by one horrid damned soul. But hope remains, for there is an old legend that the boatmammal who ferries the souls of the dead across the River of Death will release them for a fee of one silver coin each." Stopping, the wolf looked at the rabbit who was distracted by something that she saw along the fence. He sighed as the necklace she wore glittered in the lamplight before he continued, "So thirteen coins to save a soul?"

"Hey Carrots!" Nick asked as he leaned towards her. "Did you hear what he just said? Strange that he gave you that necklace with thirteen silver coins? The fox straightened up and watched as the group began to breakup now that the final story was told. Several of the customers attempted to tip the wolf, but he refused. Finally the Undertaker threw his arms over the two college students and steered the giggling does toward a bar, leaving only the rabbit and the fox alone next to the cemetery's sealed gates.

"You want a drink?" the fox asked his partner. "I'll buy!"

The rabbit looked up at the fox, her nose was twitching again, "Why did the rat run into the cemetery, does he have a hideout inside?"

"Carrots, did you not listen to any of the stories?" Nick huffed.

"I told you that if you follow the clues, every mystery can be solved!" she proudly said.

* * *

 **Next week: Where angels fear to tread.**


	9. Where Angels Fear to Tread

**Chapter: 9 Where Angels Fear to Tread**

* * *

 **We are just a few nights away from Halloween and I hope everyone has their costumes ready!**

 **The chiller movie Halloween came out in 1978 and launched a whole new trend of 80's horror slasher movies, inspiring** _ **Friday the 13**_ _ **th**_ _ **, Nightmare on Elm Street,**_ **and many more** _ **.**_ **At the end of the movie, the body of Michael Myers was not found, only to reappear in 1981 in** _ **Halloween II.**_ **He was killed again at the end of that movie and actress Jamie Lee Curtis survived to scream once again. Then came** _ **Halloween III**_ **without Michael this time, can anyone remember the bad guys in that movie? Sorry John Carpenter, but did anyone care about this movie? Thank goodness in 1988, the crazy killer showed up again in** _ **Halloween 4, The Return of Michael Myers.**_

 **So put on your mask from the Silver Shamrock Novelties, light the candle in your jack-o'-lantern and sit back for tonight's final episode of** _ **Tails from the Darkside…**_

* * *

Standing in front of the old cemetery gates, Nick and Judy watched as the group broke up and went their own way. The mysterious storyteller named the Undertaker strolled off towards the local pub with his arms thrown over two coed college deer does.

"Nick there is nothing in any of these stories that cannot be explained by a careful review of the clues!" Judy Hopps proclaimed as she adjusted her black wool jacket to ward off the late evening chill, it seemed colder the closer she got to the creepy looking abandoned cemetery.

"Fine fluff, explain the first story!" the fox huffed. He seemed impervious to the cold with a lightweight cotton brown jacket covering his favorite lime green Pawaiian shirt. "Where did the water come from that killed the rabbit?"

"It could have been from a series of pinhole leaks in the copper water lines soaking up into the floorboards!"

Frowning, he asked, "The hunger spot at the pole?"

"I was hungry because someone one with auburn fur ate half my dinner, "she replied.

"How did the dead goat grab the wolf's legs?" he asked.

"Pfft, the wolf was heavier and when he fell, his hindpaws sank into the decaying goat's body," she sighed.

"The orb in the tree?" the fox challenged.

"Dust!" she laughed.

"The voices at the train station, don't deny you didn't hear them!" he snapped.

"The city is noisy, voices carry, "she hesitantly replied.

"How does that huge sledge hammer bleed?" the fox said in an aggravated voice.

"I told, you someone sneaks in nightly," she replied with a shrug. "I'd bet it's the Undertaker."

"Okay, little miss smarty pants, how did the beaver float ten feet from the building? Nick asked.

"Full length party dress was caught by an updraft," she answered with a smirk. "Don't bother about asking about the bone walker, that's just an urban legend."

"You didn't learn anything?" Nick sighed as he reached for her paw. "Nothing at all?"

"I learned of a way into the cemetery," she replied with a serious voice. "Let's find Ratolou's hideout!"

"NO!" the fox yelped as he lunged at his partner, his paws just missed her as she scurried towards the fence.

"Come on scaredy pants," she triumphantly yelled back to him as she wiggled under the fence. "We've got a crook to catch!" She slipped just out of the fox's reach.

"Carrots…Judy…its not safe being in there!" he desperately shouted as he tried to grab her. "Please…please…please come back."

"Come on Nick, it's only an old cemetery," she fussed as she reached into her jacket and produced a penlight. "Let's crack this case!"

"But Mr. Bones is real!" he desperately whined at her as she began walking further into the old grave yard. "He'll skin you alive, so please come back! I can 't follow you under the fence, I'm too big!"

Judy ignored her partner's pleas and continued searching further into the cemetery, the old decrepit overgrown graveyard was a tangle of weeds and vines. More then once she tripped, finally falling against an old tombstone and causing it to break with a crash. She cursed as she rose and wiped herself off. "Nick, where are you?" she whispered.

"Where are you?" a voice faintly whispered from around her.

"Where are you?" an even fainter whisper replied.

The rabbit's ears drooped as she looked around with wide violet eyes. A cricket chirped, causing her to nervously jump and twist. "Nick," she whimpered.

However, the fox was still outside the gate and frantically pawing at the ground, trying to enlarge the hole enough for him to squeeze under the fence. "Carrots, come back!" he called. Finally, he managed to twist and squirm enough to get under the iron railings. As he got to his paws on the other side, he felt something with course fur and smelled the scent of blood. He grimaced as he picked up the bloody pelt of the rat Ratolou . With wild eyes he frantically looked around for his partner or the other creature he feared stalked the living on this side of the fence.

"There are no such things as ghosts," the rabbit whispered to herself. Skewing her courage, she began scanning the terrain around her. A mausoleum would be the perfect hideout she assured herself and she began stalking toward the building. Her paw reached into her coat and she pulled out the fox taser she carried not because of Nick, but because it was small and powerful.

She thought she saw someone near her and briefly turned on the flashlight, only to realize it was a statute of an angel above a tombstone. Sighing with relief, she quickly turned the light off.

Across the graveyard, Nick saw the brief flash of light and steadily, but cautiously, made his way towards were he had seen the faint light. Unlike his partners, his green eyes were suited for the darkness and almost silently he prowled his way past the old tombstones.

There was a faint rustle that her sensitive ears picked up and she turned to face the spot where she heard it and flipping on the penlight, it illuminated the figure before her.

"Ugggh, geeze Carrots you've blinded me!" Nick hoarsely whispered as the light illuminated him. "Turn that off!"

The rabbit was speechless because behind the red fox stood a taller figure who shone deathly white in the light before its odd looking faded rotting cloak enshrouded her partner and dragged him away. She screamed as she heard the whimpering and tearing sounds from the darkness, then the small light in her paw faded and died. The panicked rabbit fell back against the outside wall of the mausoleum as she saw a long bloody skeletal paw reach towards her neck and she struck out with the taser, but the battery was dead. Pulling her legs under her, she sprang into the thing and sent it stumbling into the moonlight. It was then that she saw what she was fighting, the horror that stood before her and it chilled her to her very bones. The creature grabbed her and lifted her off the ground, she twisted and tried to fight back but she was helpless. A paw reached out again towards her neck and she knew she was doomed, but it only grabbed the necklace and then threw her into a tree. Dazed, she rolled over and it was then that she saw what remained of her partner before she fainted.

* * *

The blue and red police car lights illuminated the early morning street as Police Chief Bogo arrived. "You won't believe your eyes boss," Fangmeyer said. The tall tiger in the dark blue police uniform actually looked pale. "It's Hopps!"

The large cape buffalo approached the rabbit huddled in the street hugging what appeared from the distance as an reddish orange and auburn colored blanket. The veteran cop had seen much in his career, but never anything like this when he realized it was the bloody pelt of a red fox.

"Hopps?" he asked.

The rabbit looked up at him and snarled, "My fox, not yours! He's mine!"

"Hopps?" he asked again.

This time she gave a crazed laugh and chanted as she stroked the pelt of her late partner, "Thirteen coins to free their souls, but thirteen coins won't save us all!"

The sun had begun to rise as the wolf stepped out of the shadows and watched the police strap the insane rabbit to a gurney. He kissed each of the does who were with him and wished them a good morning as they stretched and stumbled blinking into the early morning rays.

"I wish I could remember what we did last night?" one of the coeds said to the other. "All I recall is being in the bar and now its morning." They continued chatting as they walked away down the street.

The Undertaker stepped into the sunlight and flipping on a pair of sunglasses, he gave a satisfied sigh.

"Sin of gluttony dear?" a voice spoke from deep within the shadows. "Two in one night?"

Turning he faced the vixen in the tight black dress, "There you are Elvira, how was your dinner?"

"I had a little piggy," she laughed. "Well he was a big piggy and I only sucked a little of his blood. He tasted like….well bacon."

The white wolf laughed as he joined her in the shadows. "This is Zootopia, they don't have bacon here," he admonished her. "As for the two does, I just look a little of their life-force each. You know I spread it around."

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek, "Sure lover, you soul suckers are all the same."

"Well my dear its time for bed," the Undertaker grinned at the yawning reddish orange furred vampire. "Let's take the tunnels into the sewer and to your mausoleum in the cemetery."

As they started disappearing into the shadows, Elvira turned and asked the Undertaker, "Before we leave, do you any words of wisdom for the readers?"

"Oh, I forgot about you!" the wolf chuckled. "If your storyteller tells you to stay out of the old cemetery, you need to listen! So my dear readers I'll see you around, maybe on the night time streets of New Orleans, Savannah, San Francisco, or even your city's streets. I could be anywhere where ghost haunt and their stories of terror are to be told.

* * *

The sun shone brightly onto a pile of bones lying in the middle of the cemetery, above them thirteen blue balls of light rejoiced in their freedom as they rose upwards towards the heavens. A fourteenth ball hid from the dark ones which were seeking it. Then another blue ball of light, this one with a reddish hue, bumped it into the open. Quickly they were both seized by dark paws which began to drag them into the eternal darkness. Suddenly glowing white paws grabbed the reddish blue orb and with soaring wings, the angel carried the soul of Nicholas Wilde towards the heavenly gates.

 **And so our story ends…Happy Halloween!**


End file.
